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Beatles News
The Beatles were already a monstrously successful band before the summer 1967 release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. But that album brought them to a new level of cultural prominence — one that began to transcend pop music or even celebrity. Sgt. Pepper was arguably the first event-album, the LP that wore its own experimentalism on its sleeve and forced any serious-minded people to reckon with what the Beatles were doing. You could not be a culturally informed person and dismiss the Beatles in 1967. It just wasn’t possible. After Sgt. Pepper, the Beatles stopped being an extremely popular band of pop musicians. Instead, they became, more or less, goodwill ambassadors to the entire human race. That’s not an easy position to be in.
Source: Tom Breihan @tombreihan/ stereogum.com
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Prague’s John Lennon Wall on Kampa Island near Čertovka, is one of the Czech capital’s most frequently Instagrammed locations, a crowd-sourced mural visited by hundreds of tourists daily.
Called “Zeď Johna Lennona” in Czech it was first decorated by an unknown artist who, following the December 1980 assassination of John Lennon, painted a single image of the singer-songwriter and some lyrics on a blank wall across from the French embassy.
Throughout the years the wall filled up with graffiti and Beatles’ lyrics; in the late ’80s, it was the source of a political clash between the communist regime and young Czechs who took to the space to express their grievances.
On November 17, 2014, the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the Lennon wall was painted completely white by a group of student-artists activists who left the words “wall is over,” a play on the Lennon tune “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).”
Source: Katrina Modrá/news.expats.cz
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If you follow the 610 Stompers, the star of an amusing new Paul McCartney music video may look familiar.
The first in a series of videos for “Come On To Me,” the latest single from Sir Paul’s current “Egypt Station” album, features Mike Marina, a proud Stomper since 2014.
Until the concluding scene, Marina is the only person in the clip, which was shot mostly at Rubensteins, the high-end men’s clothing store at the corner of Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue.
Marina plays a security guard named Fred who, bored by the Muzak on the store’s speakers, cues up “Come On To Me.” He then lip-syncs and dances his way through the song and the store, all unabashed, big-eyed enthusiasm and joy.
His epic performance, informed by his Carnival season street dancing with the Stompers, is meant to inspire “amusement or bewilderment,” he noted recently. “One of the two.”
Source: KEITH SPERA/theadvocate.com
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John Lennon, who was the main writer of the song with McCartney as co-writer, said to Playboy in 1980 that it was about an affair he was having: “I always had some kind of affair going, so I was trying to be sophisticated in writing in such a smoke-screen way that you couldn't tell.” When asked about the title itself, he answered: “I don't know how the hell I got to 'Norwegian Wood'"
Sir Paul McCartney: “John told Playboy Magazine that he hadn't the faintest idea where the title came from but I do.
“Peter Asher (of Peter and Gordon, brother of Jane Asher and roommate of McCartney in their house) had his room done out in a wood, a lot of people were then decorating their places in wood, Norwegian wood.
“It was pine really, cheap pine. But it's not as good a title, “Cheap Pine, Baby"…
(Source of McCartney's quote: Many Years From Now, Barry Miles)
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For the latest episode of their "Inside The Studio" podcast, host Joe Levy and the iHeartMedia team made a very special trip to meet with Paul McCartney in Winnipeg surrounding a show on his current tour in support of his chart-topping Egypt Station album.
Paul McCartney telling stories about John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, sharing secrets from the Beatles in the studio, on living a normal life while being one of the most famous people in the world and more is every bit the magic you would expect.
This is Paul McCartney on "Get Back," on "Penny Lane," on Sgt. Peppers, on "Blackbird." Just enjoy.
Paul McCartney: I think everyone, like me, who believes in climate change, and that's a lot of people, we're looking at these climate accords and these meetings, there was one in Japan, there was one in Copenhagen, and as these came up we'd all be looking at it and going, "Oh, this will be the one. We're going to do something about it.
Source: Steve Baltin/forbes.com
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A pair of artists visiting Chicago for a month to paint messages of love on buildings didn’t plan to paint John Lennon’s face and the lyrics to his “Imagine” on a garage in Bucktown.
It just felt right.
“We like to freestyle. We paint concepts based on the cultural background of the area we are painting. We like to paint murals for the community,” said Resa Piece.
Piece, a street art muralist and her boyfriend, a graffiti writer who goes by the name Menace Two, are based in Queens, New York.
The inseparable couple — who say they’ve not spent more than 24 hours apart since they began dating a little over a year ago — started their cross-country road trip in September in Philadelphia and arrived in Chicago on Oct. 1.
Their goal is to paint murals that express the concept of love and kindness in various cities, according to Piece.
Source: Alisa Hauser @BCC_WPB
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There are several “definitive” biographies of John Lennon, and even more tomes claiming to provide the ultimate lowdown on the Beatles’ well-documented career. The first volume of Mark Lewisohn’s projected trilogy on the Fabs alone runs to more than 900 pages. In addition come scores of memoirs by friends, associates and exes, and explorations of every episode and facet you care to name – the Beatles and religion, when the Beatles met Elvis, the FBI and John Lennon – and even the odd critique of their music. What’s left to add? A veteran journalist and screenwriter (That’ll Be the Day, Stardust), Ray Connolly lays no claim to fresh revelations about the life of the group’s self-styled leader, instead offering insights into Lennon’s complex, contradictory character. He’s well qualified, having struck up a camaraderie with Lennon over the late 1960s/early 70s; a major regret is not announcing the Beatles’ imminent split after Lennon had tipped him off.
Source: Neil Spencer/theguardian.com
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Yoko Ono attempted to achieve a world record for the most number of humans forming a peace sign in New York’s Central Park last Tuesday morning. However, it's been reported that the effort has fallen flat. The event was organized to mark what would have been, her late husband and Beatles’ frontman John Lennon's 75th birthday on October 9th.
According to the World Record Academy, the largest peace sign ever recorded was a total of 5,814 people. It was created in 2009 at a festival in Ithaca, New York. That was realised by high school student and peace activist Trevor Dougherty. The previous record was 2,500.
Source: David Layde/nova.ie
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Oasis, Pink Floyd and Michael Jackson were also close contenders
The Beatles‘ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ has been named Britain’s favourite ever studio album, in a special countdown to mark National Album Day on October 13th.
The Fab Four’s eighth studio album was the only release from the 1960s to make the list, which was compiled by the Official Charts Company.
The albums were ranked using a combination of physical sales, downloads and streams in order to determine the British public’s definitive ‘favourite’.
‘Sgt. Peppers’ topped the chart with 5.34 million combined sales, edging out Adele‘s ’21’ which came second with 5.11 million, and Oasis‘ ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’ with 4.94 million.
Also in the top 10 were Pink Floyd‘s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, Fleetwood Mac‘s ‘Rumours’ and Amy Winehouse‘s ‘Back To Black’.
Source: Patrick Clarke/nme.com
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In this Oct. 26, 1965 file photo The Beatles, from left: Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison smile as they display the Member of The Order of The British Empire medals presented to them by Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony in Buckingham Palace in London, England. The Beatles' psychedelic masterwork "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" has been named the most popular British album in history.
Source: apnews.com
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One morning early in 1971 John Lennon sat down at a Steinway piano at his home in Ascot outside London and composed one of the greatest songs of all time.
“Imagine” flowed out as he later said, he almost finished the song in one sitting.
It went on to be an anthem for the ages, an inspiring song for generations to come.
For young people tired of war and conflict it resonated very deeply, for older folks the simplicity of the lyrics yet the complexity of the thought made it the most played Beatles song of all.
Source:James O'Shea/irishcentral.com
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Vinyl Rewind tells the story of how Ringo Starr and the other three dudes got their iconic logo and, oh boy, it’s a doozy.
Basically, for the band’s first few years, there was no Beatles logo. It was never featured in any of the band’s original albums recorded in the U.K.
The logo started its life on the bass drum of Starr’s Ludwig drum kit in April 1963, three years after John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Starr got together in Liverpool and formed the most influential music group of all time.
Starr got this Ludwig set from a shop, Drum City, on Shaftesbury Avenue in London. Founded by a guy called Ivor Arbiter in 1929, the shop was a popular destination for jazz drummers. Arbiter later recalled the encounter with a certain “Ringo, Schmingo, whatever his name was, at that time I certainly hadn’t heard of The Beatles.”
Source: Jesus Diaz/fastcompany.com
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Yoko Ono unveiled a delicate rendition of the John Lennon classic “Imagine” on what would’ve been the late musician’s 78th birthday. The track will appear on Ono’s upcoming album Warzone, which arrives October 19th via Chimera Music.
Ono’s version of “Imagine” boasts a sparse yet intricate arrangement, starting with a simple synth drone that swells steadily beneath the 85-year-old artist’s candid vocals. Halfway through the track, the drone slips away for a piano that twinkles beneath Ono’s voice, letting the song breathe in potent new way in its final moments.
Source: John Blistein/Rollingstone
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The images were taken in 1965 on the set of the legendary band’s comedy-adventure musical, which was released that year. Help!‘s plot saw the band being chased around the world after Ringo Starr acquired a sacrificial ring.
Taken by German photographer Bernd Kappelmeyer on location in Obertraun, Austria, the 124 negatives show The Beatles filming scenes in snowy mountains. John Lennon is seen sporting a black winter coat, hat, and shades in the images.
The collection will go up for auction in Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside on October 16.Other items up for grabs at Omega Auctions include an original sign from Abbey Road and costume patterns for the suits worn by the band on the iconic ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ album cover.In 2013, Help! was digitally restored and released on Blu-ray.
Source: Tom Skinner/nme.com
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Sure, those Liverpudlian lads knew how to knock out a tune or two, jingle-jangle guitars, "oooh!"s and all. But the modern male didn’t just dream of picking up a Rickenbacker and sounding like a Beatle; he wanted – perhaps even more – to look like one too. He wore out his Beatle boots as he did his coveted copy of Help!, strutted about in paisley caftans and filched his granny’s glasses, even if they made his world more topsy-turvy than it already was.
While Sergeant Pepper and his band occasionally fell out of style, the Fab Four have yet to lose an iota of their appeal, both musically and sartorially. Ahead of Paul McCartney’s Egypt Station 2019 world tour, as well as the release of the remastered and expanded White Album on 19 November (ever so slightly ahead of its 50th anniversary), we bring you 12 images of John, Paul, George and Ringo at their nattiest to show you what we mean.
Source: Joobin Bekhrad/gq-magazine.co.uk
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